The Los Angeles Dodgers faced their seventh defeat of the season on Sunday against the San Diego Padres, with pitching proving to be a significant factor in their loss.

James Paxton, who started Sunday’s game, struggled on the mound, pitching five innings while conceding three hits, three runs, and a career-high eight walks.

The bullpen also faced challenges during Sunday’s match, contributing to a total of 14 walks for the Dodgers, marking their highest walk count in a single game since 1962.

Although the bullpen performance improved during the series against the Washington Nationals, concerns persist for the Dodgers at the start of the season. Despite this, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remains confident in the bullpen’s potential.

“This was definitely not a good one. But I think in totality, you look and there’s been a lot of good things, a lot of innings that they’ve covered. It’s hard when you look back at a couple pitches we would like to have back. The walk is something that is tough to watch. But the guys that we have we really like. Their track records speak for themselves. And we just gotta be more consistent.”

A closer look at the statistics reveals that the Dodgers currently rank 18th in the league in team bullpen ERA, standing at 4.32. Previously, they even ranked lower in the 20s before the current week.

Compounding the issue is the absence of key bullpen players like Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen, who are still recovering from injuries. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Dodgers rely on the healthy players to step up until the bullpen reaches full strength later in the season.